New Drivers + Insurance costs. Plus annoying Driving laws. What's your country like?

One thing about US insurance limits is that, for reasons I can't quite fathom, it's quite legal in most states to carry a ridiculously low level of insurance to be legal.

In California I believe the limit to be legal is structured something like a total for bodily injury of $30,000 (with a maximum payout of $15,000 per person) and $5,000 in property damage (i.e., what they smash up on the other person's car, etc).

That's a joke, in my opinion, especially in 2010 (I believe the limits were set in the early 1980s and not altered since then, but they were very low then)

Heck, we had a parking lot incident that whacked a door on my wife's Scion xB (Toyota bB inother markets) and it cost nearly $2,500 to fix. I can't see $5,000 covering much of anything outside a parking lot these days...

And the bodily injury limits are just as much a joke; you can do real harm to someone that may have long term effects on them. A friend of mine, for example, had his jaw shattered when we were 17; while he still works today at age 43, it's pretty clear that the arthritis is setting into the jaw that wouldn't be normal otherwise. It's not clear that the pain won't be seriously debilitating in another 10 years or so... well before he would otherwise stop working. In his case, though, he got more than $15,000 (I think it was $125,000) and that meant he was able to buy a home much earlier than most people, and it's appreciated, etc., so he's got money set aside so that he won't HAVE to work full time and still be okay on income.

Long story short, I think it's criminal that it's legal to drive without at least $300,000 in coverage these days. But the artificially low limits are why I think people hear of cheap US insurance rates. But in truth, it's BS insurance, it's really saying "I have a piece of paper that's not worth much and won't do anything in anything more than a fender bender."

Steve
 
Kansas laws are just about exactly like what Clegko posted for Oklahoma. Learners permit (only written test required) when you're 14. You have to have a learners permit for at least 6 months and log 50 hours of driving (with a parent/guardian/someone with a license who is over 18) before you can get a drivers license. Once you're 16 (and have fulfilled the permit requirement) you can get a drivers license. That just involves a written test and a driving test. Both of which are a joke. Cost to get your first license in Kansas: $43.

Insurance, for the bare minimum legal coverage, cost me between $115-150 a month when I was 16-18. Now it costs me that much every 6 months, and it will go down even more when I'm 25.

Long story short, I think it's criminal that it's legal to drive without at least $300,000 in coverage these days. But the artificially low limits are why I think people hear of cheap US insurance rates. But in truth, it's BS insurance, it's really saying "I have a piece of paper that's not worth much and won't do anything in anything more than a fender bender."
Very true. But those low rates are a god send when you're broke.
 
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I live near a city, that's quite full of traffic, has 33.000 inhibitants and how much speed cams do we have? 1 regular and one that kinda works when it wants to.

Traffic police? They have regular spots where they hibernate with a camera. Slow down there, go faster afterwards. Oh, and they have a nifty gadge to support their laziness. A tin plate painted on one side to look like a cop crouching behind a panda car with a radar gun.

It was put here once. But then someone took it one morning and returned it half a day later with a dildo screwed to his head. Haven't seen it here since.
 
Where do I start for Oklahoma's new driver laws?

Well, first off, I got a full license at 16. No learners, no wait time (excluding the half mile long line at the DMV), nothing. Walk into the DMV, ace the practical, spend 5 minutes in a car with an instructor proving that I can parallel park, and i'm a fully licensed driver.

Insurance, well... it's not cheap, but it's not expensive, either. About 88$ a month for my first car, 75$ for my current car. And yes, that is full coverage.

Modifications? Any. You can do whatever you want to your car. Want to lower it until a speed bump becomes its natural enemy? Go right ahead. Want to raise it so far up that you can see the tops of buildings? Fine. Does it smoke more than a detective from the 70s? So long as it still does the speed limit, it's alright.

In California it's a bit more strict. You have to do 30 hours of classroom study and 6 hours of hands-on training (it should be more) if you want a permit before you're 18. The practical test for your full license is about 30 minutes and covers all the normal driving situations and maneuvers.
 
In California it's a bit more strict. You have to do 30 hours of classroom study and 6 hours of hands-on training (it should be more) if you want a permit before you're 18. The practical test for your full license is about 30 minutes and covers all the normal driving situations and maneuvers.
Our practical is, literally, just a quick drive through a neighbor hood, where you prove that you can parallel park. That's it. It's ridiculous!
 
30 whole minutes?! Oh mein got!

Oh, I can't actually parallell park but I spent several months doing all sorts of other stuff. Endless towns and roundabouts.
 
facepalm.jpg

:p

I failed my theory twice before I managed it. Did practical on first try.
 
Canadaland:

Get your theory at 16 to get your G1. Go through driver's ed (wait 8 months) or wait for one year to get your G2 (practical). Wait another year to get your G (full license, practical test as well). Each level has restrictions associated with it.

Plates, pretty much anything goes except the not so lovely words but it has been known that custom plates that had something interesting, got through. The customized plates are expensive though (well I find them expensive).

Insurance? Lets not go there but if you are a young driver get ready to be raped. Full coverage would be easily $3000+. I lucked out and only paid $88 just for liability insurance on a base 2 door FWD coupe.

Modifications? Go crazy but get ready to pay some astronomical insurance rates since the insurance companies will rape you on that or refuse to give you insurance. But you also have to comply with emission testing here.

That's pretty much the case in Ontario. Insurance sure can be a real bitch for young drivers. If you're a Not a Dude, then you'll pay less, but yes, $3000/year for insurance is not uncommon. But if you have taken lessons from a Ministry approved driving school, then you will receive a discount on your insurance (20%, I think?), as they will consider having done so an addition one year driving experience.

When you turn 16, you can go for your G1 License. Go to the MTO Office and pass a simple written test. (I don't remember how much it costs anymore). If you take a driving course, you can go for your G2 in 8 months, otherwise, you'll have to wait 12 months if you do not.

On a G1 license, you cannot drive alone and must be accompanied by someone who has a G license for 4 years or more. Your blood alcohol level must be 0 and you cannot drive from 12AM to 5AM. You also cannot drive on any of the major highways either (400, 401, 404, etc). For G1 and G2, you can take as many passengers with you as your car can legally seat.

The G2 road test is about 20 minutes long and costs $40. You'll drive in the area of the MTO Drive Test Centre; straight a bit, left a bit, right a bit, do a parallel park and a three-point turn then drive back to the Drive Test Centre.

On your G2, your blood alcohol must be 0, but you can drive alone and on the highways. After 12 months, you can go for your full G license. The exam is pretty much the same as the G2 test, but this time you'll be going on the highway. If you pass that, then you get your full G license.

In Ontario, you can buy personalized plates for about $250. It can be anything up to 8 characters long, obviously just not anything obscene. Otherwise, you'll get the regular ABCD 123 plates. You'll have to renew your plates every one or two years, depending on what kind of sticker you buy and you'll have to pay off any tickets you received also to renew your license. You'll have to renew your license every five years.
 
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Very true. But those low rates are a god send when you're broke.

I've never understood why being broke means you don't have to be responsible for injury and damage you do to other people. It seems just outright selfish and inexcusable to me.

Steve
 
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That's pretty much the case in Ontario. Insurance sure can be a real bitch for young drivers. If you're a Not a Dude, then you'll pay less, but yes, $3000/year for insurance is not uncommon. But if you have taken lessons from a Ministry approved driving school, then you will receive a discount on your insurance (20%, I think?), as they will consider having done so an addition one year driving experience.

When you turn 16, you can go for your G1 License. Go to the MTO Office and pass a simple written test. (I don't remember how much it costs anymore). If you take a driving course, you can go for your G2 in 8 months, otherwise, you'll have to wait 12 months if you do not.

On a G1 license, you cannot drive alone and must be accompanied by someone who has a G license for 4 years or more. Your blood alcohol level must be 0 and you cannot drive from 12AM to 5AM. You also cannot drive on any of the major highways either (400, 401, 404, etc). For G1 and G2, you can take as many passengers with you as your car can legally seat.

The G2 road test is about 20 minutes long and costs $40. You'll drive in the area of the MTO Drive Test Centre; straight a bit, left a bit, right a bit, do a parallel park and a three-point turn then drive back to the Drive Test Centre.

On your G2, your blood alcohol must be 0, but you can drive alone and on the highways. After 12 months, you can go for your full G license. The exam is pretty much the same as the G2 test, but this time you'll be going on the highway. If you pass that, then you get your full G license.

In Ontario, you can buy personalized plates for about $250. It can be anything up to 8 characters long, obviously just not anything obscene. Otherwise, you'll get the regular ABCD 123 plates. You'll have to renew your plates every one or two years, depending on what kind of sticker you buy and you'll have to pay off any tickets you received also to renew your license. You'll have to renew your license every five years.

Thanks for going through all the details :p.
 
I've never understood why being broke means you don't have to be responsible for injury and damage you do to other people. It seems just outright selfish and inexcusable to me.

Steve
Being broke means not having money to pay for the extra insurance, not not being responsible.
 
I managed to get in just before the UK tests changed. I did my theory with only 30 questions and did the the shorter practical, I forget how long it was. That included 2 manoeuvres (reverse around a corner and left reverse bay park).

Insurance is still the killer but I got around that with classic insurance which was only ?750 for the first year and ?500 last year. That's third party, fully comp isn't necessary.

Plate laws are strict but it still doesn't stop asshats driving around in their chavved Novas with some random font on them, although I've seen less of it recently. My Series originally had black and silver plates but once I found out it was illegal to have them on a car built after 1972 (I think) I swapped them for white and yellow which I prefer the look of anyway. For anyone who is confused, here the plate stays with the car not the driver.
 
I'm going through this process right now. in MA, you have to pass a theory test at the RMV, then you get your learner's permit. this allows you to drive with an authorized(has had license for 1+ years) adult in the passenger seat. from there, you need 30 hrs classroom, 12 hrs driving lessons, 6 hrs observation, and 40 hrs driving with a guardian. the lessons are a racket run by the russian mob where i live, costing a shitload for learning more russian than driving (privyet, pejalsta, spasiba, kak dila?, pacheemoo and sutchka are just a sample of the lessons i've recieved in mother russia's glorious native tongue).

after this, there's the road test, which is a bit of a joke, or pretty banal depending on who gives it.

then there's finding a car and insuring it. i've heard that it's easier to get insurance here than in europe, but it's still pretty bad.

then after you get your license, it's 6 months before you can take passengers who aren't related to you, and the fines and penalties for rule violations are exponentially higher than those of people who are more experienced.
 
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Being broke means not having money to pay for the extra insurance, not not being responsible.

So going out and driving when you know you can't possibly pay for even modest amounts of damage caused by your mistake in driving a car is responsible? When you stick someone else with a bill because you can't pay, that's responsible?

Really?

Steve
 
Yes it is. Tried to be clever and use that special sign and forgot a zero. On the subject of drunk driving, I drove behind a V70 on my way home from w?rk. It was keeping the speedlimit but weaving from side to side, into the wrong lane with oncoming traffic and then to the other way so far that the wheels left the pavement and kicked up dust. Wondering if I should call the police, I decided to ditch this loon and overtake instead. I slowed down a bit when going past so I could see just what kind of drunk can afford a new V70, and found a middleaged man with his right hand touching his ear.

I can see why that's illegal some places, an experienced drunk probably drive better than he did, altough he didnt crash. I don't feel a ban on talking on the phone while driving is justified, but people like him should invest in a headset. I'm open to the insurance not paying out if you're on the phone and you crash though.
 
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annoying laws of california
1. no right turns on red
2. no passing on the inside lane
3. drive exactly at the posted speed
4. speed cameras everywhe....
wait, wrong country. California driving is relatively liberal, as long as you are not speeding excessively or driving like a drunk driver. or talking or texting. or driving a sketch or modified car for that matter.

Insurance also isn't all that bad either. for a relatively new G35, i progressive'd me a quote of $3500 with 3 points on my record. I know someone with a CVPI that had a quote of around $500 per year with a reputable company. Really though, some coverage people have is way to low....some places advertise "Insurance for as low as $29 a month!" (obviously for something like a parked car)
 
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So going out and driving when you know you can't possibly pay for even modest amounts of damage caused by your mistake in driving a car is responsible? When you stick someone else with a bill because you can't pay, that's responsible?

Really?

Steve
**Just to be clear, i'm not advocating not having full coverage; this is just playing devils advocate**

I can understand where minimum coverage comes from, in all honestly. Some people, especially in OK and other spread out states, need their car to get to work. We don't have the luxury of a good public transport network, or even fucking sidewalks for people to use. If you're working a minimum wage job, and need your car to get there, you're going to spend as little as possible on your car and put that money somewhere else, like food. I know; I've done it.
 
New Hampshire

You can get a learner's permit at 15 1/2 years old. I think you can start Driver's Education at that point as well, as long as the course ends after you turn sixteen. Or, you can just wait until you're eighteen and just take the DMV driving test, but your insurance rates will be even higher.

Insurance rates for males around here are astronomically high, even for someone like me with a clean record. It will stay that way until I'm 25, at which point they will drop to roughly double what a sixteen year old girl pays for insurance.

If you are under twenty, any moving violation results in your license being pulled for 20, 45, 90 or more days depending on the number of offenses. This includes anything more significant than a parking ticket (I'm surprised they don't pull licenses for parking tickets yet). Roll a stop sign? Lose your license - unless you're a girl in which case you won't even get a ticket. :lol:
 
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